A snapshot of transforming regions

18 February, 2011

This year’s annual tasting will offer the chance to discover and compare Portugal’s regions with 15-minute tastings from leading winemakers.

Ben Stephenson, owner of independent wine specialist Hanging Ditch, is one of many to sing the country’s praises. He says: “Portuguese wines have gone through an amazing revolution over the past 10 years, and they are now at the vanguard of the wine-producing world.”?Broadcaster Charles Metcalfe will host two wine walks at 11.30am and 12.30pm and journalist Tom Cannavan will appear later on at 2.30pm and 3.30pm.?Portugal’s Top 10 Touriga Nacional Wines, chosen by an international panel that included Jancis Robinson and Neil Martin, will be on show.??PLB will have the newly-launched Delaforce Wine Collection on taste, described as “a trio of three quality Douro reds, each selected for its individuality and unique style, will showcase two of the world’s best grape varieties: Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon, from prestigious vineyards in the Douro”.

The range consists of Delaforce Tinto 2007, a single vineyard premium red (rrp £9.99), Delaforce Touriga Nacional 2007 (rrp £14); and the ground-breaking “Super-Douro” blend Delaforce Touriga Nacional/Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (rrp £15). The wines are aimed at the on-trade and retail specialist sectors. A PLB spokeswoman says: “The Delaforce Wine Collection is set to position itself in the UK market as the first Portuguese offer in recent times of a truly branded premium Port­uguese wine, by marketing a recognisable brand name widely known in the trade, enjoying awareness and quality perception at consumer level.” Delaforce His Eminence’s Choice 10 Year Old Tawny port, which received a silver medal in OLN’s sister publication Drinks International’s Port Taste Awards, will also be on taste.

Richards Walford is launching the Pedra Basta 2008, which comes from a cooler growing region.??Delibo Wine Agencies will be showing Terra d’Alter’s range from Alto Alentejo and will be launching single varietals Viognier, Aragones, Alfrocheiro and a new Syrah Viognier made in a Cõte Rotie style. Terra d’Alter was created in 2004 by three shareholders including Australian Peter Bright, who will be attending the tasting. The range comprises blended and single varietal wines, many of which are made using indigenous Portuguese grape varieties. A spokesman says: “All the wines are made in a modern, fruit-forward style, worlds away from the dusty, fruitless wines of old-style Portugal.”??Casa Santos Lima, a producer from Lisbon, will be launching the new brands Portas de Lisboa, Reserva do Monte and LX, plus the new vintages of its brands Quinta da Espiga, Bons-Ventos, Quinta das Amoras, Quinta do Espírito Santo, Eximius and Palha Canas.??Casa Leal will be presenting wines from Adega Edmun do Val. It’s a family winery located in São Julião, in Valença do Minho, which makes single vineyard wines from Alvarinho. A spokeswoman says the wine benefits from a restriction on yields per hectare and being hand-harvested. It will present Quinta Edmun do Val 2007 and 2008.??Raymond Reynolds will be showcasing wines from three of its best-known agencies, and two newcomers. New vintages will be on show from Niepoort, Malhadinha and Luis Pato, with Pato being on hand to show the 2009 and 2010 vintages of Pato Rebel, which is fermented with 1% white skins. On the newer side, Quinta da Raza and Conceito will be highlighting unusual varietal wines from Vinhao and Bastardo respectively.?At DFJ Vinhos’s stand there will be several new wines and labels accompanied by wine­maker José Neiva. “We will be unveiling a phenomenally fruity Shiraz/Pinot Noir blend at a fantastic price and a new Cabernet Sauvignon/Tinta Roriz blend of real class,” says brand manager Filipe Fernandes. The new vintage of the Pink Elephant Rosé will be available at the tasting.??Charles Hawkins & Partners will be presenting new vintages from both Esporão in Alentejo and Quinta do Portal from the Douro. Esporão’s Duas Castas 2010, a blend of Gouveio/Verdelho and Verdelho 2010, Syrah 2008, Touriga Nacional 2008 and Petit Verdot 2008, will be on taste. From Quinta do Portal the new vintages include Trevo 2010 Vinho Verde, Portal White & Rosé 2010, Reserva 2008. Two single varietal wines will also be presented, the Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz 2009.??Armit will have the range from Quinta Vale das Escadinhas, which highlights the launch of “a very small production and our first white wine”, Encruzado/Malvasia 2010.??Boutinot’s Aliança Vinhos de Portugal has 600ha spread across estates in five regions. It will be showing an extensive range of wines sourced from the Douro in the north to Alentejo in the south. Highlights on the stand include the Vista range. Vista Tinta Roriz and Vista Reserva Touriga Nacional are described by the producer as “well-made, modern reds, but still in the robust, spicy Portuguese mould”.

They were given a new label in November and will be joined at the tasting by the new Vista TR Rosé 2010 – produced with Tinta Roriz grapes from Aliança’s vineyard in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo in the Beiras region. Mário Neves from Aliança will be attending the tasting.??Ehrmanns will launch Rosé da Ânfora from Bacalhôa (rrp £5.99), extending the range following the success of Tinto da Ânfora. Rachel Herrig, UK brand manager for Bacalhôa, says: “We worked very closely with Bacalhôa to develop a rosé which

delivers the impressive quality and value of Tinto da Ânfora. This rosé has a sophisticated style, made with a selection of indigenous varietals. Rosé da Ânfora is an excellent example of the fantastic quality wines coming from Portugal.” The Bacalhôa table will also feature the latest releases of the premium range, including the iconic Quinta da Bacalhôa, the IWC Trophy-winning Moscatel de Setúbal 1999, and the limited release Palacio da Bacalhôa.

Quinta do Noval will be releasing its aged tawny port Quinta do Noval Colheita 1997 to the UK market at the tasting. It is produced from a single harvest exclusively from selected plots on the estate and trodden by foot in lagares. Quinta do Noval Unfiltered LBV 2004, Noval 10 Year Old Tawny, Quinta do Noval 2008 Vintage Port and Noval Black will also be available, as well as the latest vintages of its still wine range: Quinta do Noval Douro DOC 2008 and Cedro do Noval 2008.??Hallgarten Druitt will be showcasing a range of wines from Cooperativa Agrícola Santo Isidro de Pegões. New to the UK market is the Adega de Pegoes Touriga Nacional 2008.??Ten Madeira wines from Pereira D’Oliveira will be exhibited by Bovey Wines, plus Terrantez 1988, Boal 1984, Verdelho 1981, Sercial 1971 and Verdelho 1966.

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